Calculated Discord
by GrowlingPeanut
Summary: This is where I'll put all my Zer0 x Gaige one-shots that I can't really fit anywhere else! It'll contain multiple timelines, AUs, and interpretations of what Zer0 actually is. I'm also open to prompts, so if you want to see me try my hand at an idea, just shoot me a PM or review and I'll see what I can come up with!
1. Leverage In Leather

**A/N:** Alright, the fans have spoken. A collection of one-shots was desired, and so it shall be given. Hopefully this will give everyone something to read while I finish up this semester. I won't completely disappear, but you won't see nearly as much of me for the next month or so. Don't worry though, I'm still working on **Unconventional** and I have a few other surprises planned as well.

But the writing is more interesting than its author, no? So here's how this collection is going to work. I don't want to say it's "anything goes," but it kind of is. Although I'm most comfortable writing Zer0/Gaige, I do occasionally get inspired by other characters, and they will certainly make cameos. Circumstances will change, settings will change, Zer0's species will change. These snippets will not necessarily be connected, but if they are, I'll let you know.

I'm also going to do something notably _outside_ my comfort zone. I'm going to open this up to prompts and suggestions! I've been (in the spirit of our favorite haiku hitman) looking for a challenge for a while, and I couldn't think of a better way to train my writing skills than to take prompts. I'll try anything at least once, so don't be afraid to ask!

Alright, here we go! As promised, the first one is the narrative version of Gaige's dream in chapter two of **A Worthy Challenge**! From now on, I'll refer to this "universe" as the High School AU.

**Disclaimer: Borderlands and its characters belong to Gearbox and 2K and Telltale and whoever else is lucky enough to own them.**

**Read, enjoy, review, and share!**

* * *

"...you wouldn't know a three-quarter cable splice if it came up and slapped you in the bitch face—" The sound of a motorcycle engine made her stop short and turn around. Right on time. Like always. "Hold that thought, Marcie. My ride's here. We'll finish this tomorrow." She turned back to her classmate...who was staring near slack-jawed at the new arrival.

"Who is that?"

"My boyfriend," Gaige answered simply. "I know, he gives your skinny little waist a run for its money—my God, why are you staring at him?"

Marcie shut her mouth and turned to Gaige, a familiar sneer starting to cross her lips. "Your boyfriend? Come on, we both know you couldn't score someone like him. 'Fess up—you two are probably related."

Gaige started to retort, but then thought about what Marcie had just said. _...score someone like him_. Marcie thought Zer0 was too hot for her. Holy shit, Marcie thought Zer0 was hot. She didn't know whether to be amused or defensive. Amused, definitely amused. Marcie wasn't a threat in this regard.

She turned around again and watched as Zer0 took off his helmet and hung it on one of the handlebars before turning off the engine, nudging the kickstand down, and walking over. Yeah, he did look pretty damn fine in that leather jacket. This would be _perfect_. "No, not related," she smirked. "Here, let me introduce you two."

"Uhh...I, uh...I have somewhere I need to be, actually. I'll see you tomorrow." Before Gaige could say anything, she'd turned on her heel and started walking away, though she didn't get too far before looking back over her shoulder and adding a "loser" just for good measure.

Gaige rolled her eyes. Yeah right. She wasn't a loser, not with this new leverage.

"Friend of yours?" Zer0 stopped behind her and rubbed her shoulders.

Gaige grinned. "Nah, that's Marcie."

"_The_ Marcie? The "bitch from fucking hell" Marcie?"

"Yup. That's the one."

"How come she seemed so eager to leave?"

Gaige pivoted and popped up on her toes to give him a kiss, smiling widely. "No reason. She had somewhere she needed to be. How were classes?"

"Fine. Yours?"

Gaige glanced at Marcie's retreating back. "They're about to get a whole lot better."


	2. Robot Rendezvous

**A/N: **Hey, hey! I've got another one-shot for you guys! This one was result of a random thought I had while waking up one morning a few weeks ago. I've always liked the idea of Zer0 being a robot, but I didn't want to go that route for **Unconventional**, so I thought I'd play around with it here. This is mostly fluff, with a little bit of mentioned smut.

Many thanks to everyone who reviewed/followed/faved: **XFLNife, Farky-Fark and the Munky Bunch, The Jolly Bounty, **and **Darkstar248**. Speaking of you, **Darkstar248**, I do have a Maya/Krieg in progress right now. I can't say for sure when it'll be up, but I'll attach it to the end of **A Worthy Challenge** once I'm finished with it.

Alright! I hope you're all ready for robot snuggles because here they come.

**Disclaimer: Has never been mine and probably never will be.**

**Read, enjoy, review, and share!**

* * *

_Mechromancer, not mech-romancer_, she'd said. _Having sex with a machine would be weird, right? _And yet here she was, lying in bed, naked from the waist down, trying not to think about the fact that she'd done just that.

She didn't know how it had happened. One minute she was fighting alongside the assassin, absently wondering aloud if she could make Deathtrap sentient, and the next...well, she was in _bed_ with the assassin, who just _happened_ to be the kind of sentient she'd been speculating. She hadn't even known he was interested. Or that he could even _be_ interested. Or that he wanted to have sex with her. Or that he was even a 'he.' Robots didn't have gender, did they? They couldn't really have _biological sex_, at least in terms of anatomy, but could they identify themselves as male or female? And if they could, had Zer0 _chosen_ to be "male" or had he been built that way?

She fidgeted and risked a glance at him. He was still sitting cross-legged down by her thighs. She didn't want to sound like she was complaining about this situation. She definitely wasn't. She'd had her eye on the assassin for a while. Thought he hadn't noticed, but apparently that wasn't the case. Crushes typically didn't finger-fuck you unless they liked you back, right? "Hey, Zer0," she quipped. "So you definitely like me, right? Find me attractive and all that?"

"I thought you'd like this / Your interest in me is clear / Are you satisfied?"

"Um...yeah. It was great, but...that wasn't the question."

"I was built to kill," he answered after a moment. "I was unaware of love / But I feel for you."

Was that a yes? That had to be a yes. It sounded awfully vague, though. "So...this could become a regular thing, yeah? You, me, bed?"

"Yes."

Well. That was certainly to the point. Okay. Become fuck buddies with a murderous, sentient, man-shaped machine: check. "This, uh, might be a really strange question, but...is this the only way we can do it? I mean, I'm assuming you weren't built with the, um, parts. Cause that would be freakish and kinky. But really convenient. But also weird."

"There are other things / I can do to pleasure you / Sex has many forms."

"Yeah, and that's cool and all, I'll try just about anything, but...what about you? I want to be able to do _you_. One-sided sex is kinda selfish, don't you think?"

"I need no pleasure / I will simply enjoy yours / But your thoughts are kind."

She shook her head. "No, I'm not gonna treat you like some cheap hooker. There has to be a way. Some sort of feedback loop? Maybe if we wired you into my arm..." She shook her head. "Or...what's your most sensitive tactile receptor? Or..." she couldn't believe she was saying this, "maybe I could, you know, _upgrade_ you. Can't be too hard, can it? ...oh God, I just made a really bad dick pun, didn't I?"

Zer0 humored her with a low laugh and flashed a fitting, if immature, emoticon over his faceplate.

She shook her head, but smiled and pulled the blanket up over her legs. "You know...um…" she rubbed at her neck as he moved further up the bed, toward the pillow. "If you wouldn't mind, I'd love to look through some of your codes. I think I could learn a lot. I mean, yeah, I built DT from scratch and he's cool and all, but I've never seen anything as advanced as you."

A smile flickered into place in front of his helmet. "You may look at them / But do not copy any / Be glad I trust you."

"Oh, I am." She laughed. "I'm still kinda nervous around you. For a few reasons." She watched as he reached down to touch her face. His gloved fingers fluttered gently over her cheeks and lips, where they lingered briefly before he pulled away. She chewed the inside of her cheek. "Zer0...? Are you...do you _have_ a body? Or are you just a bunch of wires and pistons stuffed inside a suit and the suit, like, _is_ your body?"

He didn't respond for a long few minutes and Gaige was afraid she'd gone too far. But then he shifted and gave a slight nod. "You will know someday / The truth is complicated / But you will find out."

She could live with that. Even if it meant postponing his upgrades to a later time. She needed to know if he had a body before she could build him any body _parts._ So until then, they'd work with what they had. She offered a content smile and pulled the blanket up around her shoulders. "I'm gonna get some sleep. You don't...have to stay if you don't want to. You probably don't sleep anyway."

He shook his head, but settled down onto the mattress beside her. "I will remain here."

"You really don't have to. I'm sure you have a lot of important things to do-"

"I don't mind it, Gaige / Watching you sleep is peaceful / I will gladly stay."

"Well...okay. Sure." She scooted a little closer to him, looking at her reflection in his helmet. After a few seconds, she leaned in and touched her lips against the cold black glass. "Thanks," she murmured after she'd settled back. "For staying."

He didn't say anything, only draped one of his arms over her waist and gently tugged her closer again; until her chest was pressed against his.

It was a small gesture, but to Gaige, it meant more than any haiku he could have come up with, no matter how sweet. She smiled, and in a matter of minutes, had fallen asleep, lulled by the soft whirr of idle machinery.


	3. Graduation

**A/N:** Not much to say about this one besides it's sort of a graduation gift for my sister, **Farky-Fark and the Munky Bunch**, who just graduated high school this past weekend. Most of the details in this are more or less based on **Farky's** actual graduation. It's set in the "High School AU" and it's mostly fluff with a little wisdom. Plus, it gave me a chance to flesh out some of my headcanon for this AU, which was fun.

Many, many thanks to those of you who followed/faved/reviewed: **Darkstar248, CGAdam, Gillfish, Wordpass, **and **SPLATTERMAN.** As always, your support is super-crazy-appreciated. Especially when I feel myself falling into a writing slump.

**Disclaimer:** Still not mine. Waiting patiently, though.  
**Read, enjoy, review, and share!**

* * *

"God, I'm so nervous..." She patted at her hair fretfully.

Zer0 reached over to stop her. "You look beautiful. Trust me. Now just go get ready. I'll be sitting with your parents exactly where you told us to. We'll wave and shout and take pictures and everything will be perfect."

"I know, I know…" She fidgeted, bouncing up and down on her toes a few times. "I can't believe this is actually happening…"

"It won't if you don't get back there in time," he scolded, giving Gaige a gentle push in the direction of the hallway where she needed to be.

She sighed and leaned back in to give him a kiss before jogging down the hall.

Her father laughed and elbowed Zer0. "I'll give you ten bucks if she makes it to the end of the hallway without tripping on her shoes."

He chuckled. "I never said I thought she _wouldn't._ Maybe we should bet against her mother."

Mrs. Dawson just shook her head, smiling. "We should get in there if we want the seats she told us to find. It's already busy, so who knows how fast that gym will fill up."

The gym filled up very quickly, they found out. They were able to sit where Gaige had told them to; next to the right side of the stage, but other family and friends weren't so lucky. Her parents already had the cameras and recorders out, even though the ceremony didn't start for another hour. Zer0 was just there to cheer and provide moral support. And make faces at her.

She'd said she would be sitting in the front row. Being part of the top ten in her class had its perks. She'd done so well. And it was all her, too. Not that Zer0 was ever unwilling to provide help, but he was busy with his own studies and she never asked. In fact, he was more frequently required to drag her _away_ from her books and projects to go out and have some fun. She definitely deserved what she was getting tonight.

* * *

"It is with great pride that we here at Harmony Plaza Charter High School present the top ten students in their graduating class. Now, the phrase "top ten" may be a little misleading, as there are actually thirty students worthy of being in that group. These young men and women have shown the utmost level of devotion to their schooling and have been rewarded for their accomplishments with a perfect seven-point-oh GPA." There was general applause and scattered laughter and cheering before the principal continued. "Would the top _thirty_ would please stand and come forward to receive their accolades."

As a group, the students stood up and filed toward the stage. Gaige (having found them before the ceremony started) glanced over as she walked, grinning. Zer0 smiled back and gave her a thumbs up.

"Jay Adams… Bailee Armstrong…"

As the preceding names were called, Zer0 looked at the rest of the group. He recognized Marcie Holloway, which wasn't surprising, given what Gaige had told him about the girl and her family. They'd probably bribed her to the top. That irritated him. He had no knowledge of Marcie's intellect or personal accomplishments, but it didn't seem fair that money could put her into the same group as a couple dozen other students who had likely _worked_ for this position.

"...Melissa Daniels…"

He could see the copper of Gaige's hair on the far side of the stage. She was next. She looked nervous, but happy.

"Gaige Dawson."

Immediately, he and her parents broke out into enthusiastic cheers and applause as she bowed her head to receive her medal. When she looked up, her smile almost split her face in half and her cheeks were flushed. She left the stage and walked back to her seat, still beaming, and held up her medal, pointing to it when she'd sat back down.

* * *

"Oh, honey, that was a beautiful ceremony…"

"And you're a _graduate_ now! C'mere, you college girl, you!" Her father grabbed her shoulders in a hug.

She laughed. "I'm not a college girl yet, Dad. Give me a couple months of summer first, 'kay?"

"Right, right…" Mr. Dawson let go of her and straightened. "Wouldn't want to rob you of that."

She smiled and shook her head, leaning against Zer0. "It doesn't feel real yet."

"It will," her mother assured. "Give it a few weeks."

"But once it sets in, you'll be a red-faced crying mess and we'll be leaving you at your dorm with seven suitcases, so for right now, let's go get ice cream!" Her father herded them all toward the door.

"Dad?"

"Yeah, sweetie?"

"Can I ride on Z's bike? We'll meet you there, I promise."

Zer0 held up his hands as Mr. Dawson glanced at him. "I didn't instigate this, I swear."

"C'mon, Dad. I've done it plenty of times. He's a safe driver."

"I know he is. I wouldn't have trusted him with you if he wasn't. So yes, you may."

Gaige's eyes lit up. "Thanks, Daddy!" She hopped over to give him a quick hug.

"Oh, come on. You knew I'd say yes." He smiled at his daughter, but the look he gave Zer0 clearly said "get my girl there in one piece or you're dead." Zer0 knew that look. There were variations of it, but the general sentiment was always there. Yeah, he knew it well.

They split in the parking lot. He and Gaige headed toward his motorcycle, and her parents toward their car. Gaige had taken off her cap and gown and given them to her parents to keep and this was quite possibly the first time Zer0 had ever seen her in a dress. Granted, it wasn't an _elegant_ dress by any means, but it was cute and appropriate for the event. "You look gorgeous."

She blushed. "You already said that."

"No, I said "beautiful." I toned it down for your parents."

She laughed. "Wouldn't want to give them the wrong idea."

"The idea that they already have?" He handed her his extra helmet.

"They have _no_ idea we're...y'know… Wait, do they? Did they find my pills or somethin'?"

He snorted. "Not as far as I know. But they probably have their suspicions. I _am_ an evil "college guy" after all."

"Yeah, well, I'm a college girl now, so…"

"Oh, I see. You're a college girl when it fits your motives."

"Of course."

He just laughed and gunned the throttle. "You ready?"

"Punch it."

* * *

"I lied," she muttered, chewing on the end of her plastic spoon. The ice cream was long gone and the four of them were sitting out on a retaining wall in a nearby park, watching the night traffic of Harmony Plaza. Off in the distance, the lights on the Eden-5 Central Governance Building glittered in the dark.

Zer0 looked at her.

"It's sinking in _now_." She sighed and rested her head on his shoulder. "I'm gonna be moving into college in a couple months."

He just nodded and ran a hand through her hair.

"You know, I thought I'd be glad to get out of the house and become an "independent adult." Whatever I thought that meant."

"You will."

"...I'm gonna get homesick."

He shrugged. "Yeah. But that's typical. Everyone gets homesick."

"But I'm only, like, six hours away from home. Barely." She shifted, tucking her legs up next to her. "Did you get homesick? I mean, hell, _you're_ far from home. Your family's not even _on_ Eden-5."

He was silent for a moment. "Yeah, I got homesick. But hey, it's not like you'll _never_ see your family again. You can ECHO-chat with them every night if you want. I'm sure they won't care." He glanced over at her parents, sitting just far enough away to allow he and Gaige some respectful privacy.

"Well, I'm their only kid, so yeah. They're gonna be just as lonely as me." She sighed again. "Tell you who I'm _not_ gonna miss. Marcie. Can you believe she got into the top? She didn't even do any of her own work!" Gaige huffed. "She pisses me off. So good riddance." She lapsed into silence for another minute, then looked up at him. "You were the first one, right? To leave for college?"

"Technically. Me and my brother."

"Right. Twins." She was quiet momentarily. "I can't believe I've never asked this before, but...are you two identical? 'Cause...I could have some serious fun with that…"

He shook his head, laughing. "No. We're not."

"Damn."

"He's the hot one."

"Oh, shut up." She swatted his leg.

Comfortable silence settled again, until Gaige sat up. "What if no one likes me? What if it's high school all over again?"

Zer0 turned, confused. "Since when did that matter?"

Gaige shrugged. "It doesn't, I guess... But it _is_ nice to know there are people who want to hang out with you."

"So...friends, then?"

Another shrug.

"You'll make friends. That arm of yours is a good conversation-starter."

"It freaks people out."

"Well, then those people won't be your friends. The ones who ask you questions about it and don't turn white when you say you cut it off yourself will be your friends."

She nodded, but still seemed dubious.

"And you'll still have me. I'm a little closer than your parents. If you're stressed or something, just come crash at my place. I'm sure the guys wouldn't care."

She raised an eyebrow. "The guys?"

He waved a hand dismissively. "Yeah, my roommates."

"Right, yeah. How many…?"

"Four, including me."

She raised an eyebrow. "Four guys in one apartment. Huh."

"I know it sounds like a disaster waiting to happen. And...well...there have been a few close calls. But…" He shrugged. "It's not as bad as it sounds. They won't give you too much trouble. Well, Sal might. But I could drop-kick him down the hallway if I had to. Besides, there's a girl across the hall if you need some estrogen. She's cool."

"Yeah?" She looked at him out of the corner of her eye. "How cool?"

He nudged her shoulder and shook his head. "Quit that. She's...not even interested. But one of my roommates is practically _obsessed_ with her. Tries to convince the rest of us that she's the most gorgeous woman alive."

"Does she _know_ about this?"

"She does. She humors him."

Gaige shook her head, smiling distantly.

Zer0 sighed and scuffed his shoes against the wall. "I know you think you're not ready," he murmured after a minute.

"I never said—"

"It didn't have to be said," he cut in softly. "I didn't think I was ready, either. Moving across the galaxy, being one of the first to leave the house… But you know what? I didn't have _time_ to be scared. Once I got here, I had to get my shit together _fast_. So I did. And once I did, it got easier. I gained confidence. I met people. Made friends. And so will you."

She bit her lip and nodded. "Thanks."

"Just being honest." He smiled down at her. "You're amazing."

"And lucky." She placed her hand on top of his, lacing their fingers, and leaned against his arm.

"I think that goes for both of us," he agreed quietly. "And I honestly can't wait to see what happens in the next few years."

She just gave his hand a soft, wordless squeeze.


	4. Sounds Like Pandora

**A/N:** This started out really fluffy. And then went really dark. But I decided not to torture them too much, so I went with the happy ending.

If you want a soundtrack, I'd suggest "Psychobabble" and "Hear Me Out" by Frou Frou. "Psychobabble" for the first half and "Hear Me Out" for the second half.

Aww, dang, guys. I forgot to put in the acknowledgements the first time I posted this! Sorry! Many many many many **many** thanks to those of you who reviewed/followed/faved: **A Soggy Sandwich, Kageshi Makira, Pestilencea-The-Warlock, Darkstar248, Farky-Fark and the Munky Bunch, **and **CGAdam**. I know I say it every time, but your support and suggestions and kind words are just about as important to me than water. If they could literally keep me alive, then they would be _more_ important than water. And food. And that would be awesome.

Also, I'll be kinda slowing down on my Borderlands stuff for a while. Military sci-fi is starting to call to me again, so I'll be working on PlanetSide2 and Halo things for a bit. Don't worry, though, I'll keep coming back to this and my other BL stories, it's just that updates might not be as quick as they have been. You have to go where the muse takes you, you know?

Anyway, I hope you all enjoy this! Be sure to leave your thoughts for me!

**Disclaimer:** Nothing is mine except Tesla the cat.

* * *

She stuck her keyring in her teeth and gathered all of her bags, nudging the car door closed with one hip and checking the mail on the way inside. Two more potential job offerings. That was a good sign. She moved all the bags to her left arm and grabbed the thick envelopes with her other hand. She could live off of her Vault-hunting spoils for a while—life, probably—but she'd gotten restless with nothing to do. No one to talk to. She missed the banter. The teasing. The...flirting...

She pursed her lips. She couldn't miss _him_, though. It had been very clear that he wanted nothing to do with her. So she could only return the sentiment.

She left the bags on the table, along with her keys, and wandered out into the house, opening the envelopes and calling absently for the stray cat she'd more or less adopted ever since installing a cat door to the back porch. "Tesla...here kitty... Here kitty kitty..."

A low growl was her response. She frowned. "Tes? What's the matter?" She looked up from the letters and headed toward the living room. "Did you—oh my God."

She stopped dead as she turned the corner. Her heart jumped into her throat. She could only stare. There _he_ was, on the couch—_her_ couch—attempting to pet a bristling Tesla. Both the cat and the visitor looked up when she entered. She could only shake her head, provoking a soft laugh. It was the same laugh that always used to tie her stomach into giddy knots. Now...it just sounded cold.

"Hello Gaige."

She swallowed hard, a knot forming in the pit of her stomach. He wasn't supposed to— He'd said—

They stayed silent for several long minutes, unmoving. She didn't realize she'd tensed up until she felt her fingernails digging into her palm. They'd decided they'd never see each other again. Since when had he changed his mind? She knew she hadn't.

It was surreal. She'd left him halfway across the universe. And yet...here they were. In her house. She was looking at him; seeing that lithe, streamlined body for the first time in five years. She could easily remember what it looked like under the armor. A small part of her memories tried to remind her how good those three years had been. How _close_ they'd been. How much they'd...loved each other. _If we ever did,_ she thought bitterly. "You're not supposed to be here," she eventually rasped, throat suddenly dry. "It was what we agreed."

"My work brought me here."

"But you didn't have to come _here_," she almost hissed. "I thought we were done." She just wanted him to leave. He had already gone back to being just as closed-off as they day they met. Helmet on. Careful, clipped phrases, limited by a strict five-seven-five. Why hadn't leaving once been enough?

He looked up, didn't say anything. Then, slowly, he stood. "You misunderstand / This _is_ where I need to be / I have a contract."

Gaige's veins suddenly went cold. He couldn't mean… Before she could respond, he'd digistructed a small knife and thrown it. Right at her. With a yelp, she dropped into a crouch. The knife buried itself into the wall above her. Right where her forehead would have been, had she still been standing. She tried not to hyperventilate. She couldn't think. This wasn't happening. He was moving too fast. How could she fight him? He was _made_ for this. She wasn't.

"You know how I work." His voice was even. Low. Dangerous. "Don't make this easy for me / You're worth more than that."

Gaige couldn't decide if that was a compliment or a taunt. Both, possibly. Quickly, she swept her eyes over him, looking at all the places he normally kept weapons. It didn't look like he had a gun, but it could have easily been in an SDU and she wouldn't see it until it was too late. She knew better than to get in close; that was the best range for him and that damned sword…

Her throat tightened as she realized how grave this situation had become—quite literally. One of them was going to die. And it wasn't going to be her. She gritted her teeth and lunged at a nearby candlestick. "No guns," she spat. "Just that." She nodded at his hip where he kept the hilt of his digistruct katana.

He shook his head and laughed, but "unsheathed" the blade with a flourish. "Hardly a fair fight / Remember your training, Gaige / Spare me no mercy."

She swallowed. Tried to breathe. This was happening. She was going to kill him. Her colleague. Her friend. Her lover. She shook her head. No. Her _former_ colleague. Her _estranged_ friend. Her _ex_-lover. She _had_ to do this. Or he was going to kill her. She was, for the first time, sickened by his profession. The fact that someone had paid him enough to kill her made her want to throw up. It was wrong. Sure, it was illegal. But he'd never be caught. He was too good. No one would find him. Not even by following the trail of corpses he left behind.

She suddenly felt weak. She wanted to scream. Wanted him to take the helmet off so she could look for any spark of feeling, no matter how small, in his pale gray eyes. Something to tell her that this was a trick. A test. They'd… Her eyes felt hot. All those years on Pandora couldn't have been a lie, could they? He wasn't that cold? That calculating? What if he'd been given the contract before they met? What if he'd only— Her stomach flipped. It...no. It wasn't possible. There had been _emotion_. Real emotion. There was no way it was all a game. A challenge. A stupid, fucking challenge. Get close to her. Learn her secrets. Make her _trust_ him. Then...kill her. And claim his reward. Was he really that shallow?

"Having second thoughts?"

She stared at him. "Take off the helmet."

"That's not how this works."

"Do it." She dropped her arms to her sides. "Or kill me. I don't care. You had everything all planned from the start, anyway, you sick, cold, twisted _asshole_." That made him hesitate. Gaige watched him carefully. "Yeah. You know, you fooled me. You did a great job of making me believe that you actually _loved_ me." She forced out a harsh laugh. "Of course, I should have known better. A professional killer would never love. But kudos, though, for keeping up the act. It was convincing."

He took a step closer. She tried not to back away. Or show how terrified she was. This was it. This was the end. She just kept staring into that black faceplate. She'd memorized the dents and scratches across the glass; traced them so many times. "So convincing," she continued, softer, "that I fell for it. I loved _you_. You didn't deserve it, but damn if you weren't charming. So you're welcome, I guess. You may have tricked me into loving you, but you _were_ loved." She took a deep breath and let it out slowly. "And I'd rather you kill me. I don't want to live the rest of my life being angry at you. Because you know what? I _still_ love you. I love you so much it hurts. So just get it over with. Put me out of my misery." She shut her eyes and took a step closer to him, dropping the candlestick.

But the pain never came. Instead, she heard the familiar subtle hiss of released air. She didn't have to open her eyes to know what was coming next. And it broke her heart. His lips pressed gently against hers, but only for a second or two before he pulled back. "I loved you too." _That_ was the voice she knew. Unmodulated, clear, deep. Honest. "It wasn't part of the job description, but I couldn't help it."

She opened her eyes. He hadn't changed in five years. No new scars, just the familiar ones. No signs of aging. The same sort of resigned melancholy in his eyes. Before she could stop herself, she'd stepped forward and kissed him again. Some part of her was still warning that this could be a trap. That the game wasn't finished yet. But she ignored it.

He tossed his helmet onto the couch behind them without breaking the kiss. Gaige knew what that meant. It was pretty much all or nothing now, and they were already kissing, so nothing wasn't an option. She opened her lips just slightly—enough to allow his tongue to slip between them—and couldn't help smiling at how easily this all came back to her. If she hadn't known any better, she would have figured they'd never broken up. But she did know better, and she remembered the dusty train station in the Badlands where they'd had that fight and said their goodbyes, and she wasn't about to let an opportunity to kiss him again slip out of her reach.

So they kissed. Exactly the same way they had six years ago when the chance of living to see another day was only about eighty percent guaranteed. The way they had when everything had finally fallen into place and they'd both faced certain death head-on. Together. And lived. They kissed the way they had that first night, drunk and inexperienced, but willing. They kissed like they'd never stopped loving each other. _Which_, Gaige thought, _we haven't, I guess._

* * *

Soft morning light broke through the curtains, rousing Gaige slowly. She lay there for a minute, savoring the feeling of his warm arms wrapped around her waist and his strong, steady heartbeat against her chest. Today seemed like a good day to practice her sniping on some sk—

She sat up, making him grumble and let go of her. Her throat tightened as she realized what had happened. And what it meant.

"I take it you're not letting me walk back through that door alone," he murmured.

She looked down at him. He was watching her with one eye; a crooked smirk on his lips. Numbly, she shook her head.

"Figures," he sighed, reaching up to run a hand through her hair.

"Do you really have a contract for me?"

He laughed softly. "No."

"You know I meant it when I called you an asshole, right? You could've killed me."

"If I had been trying."

She hugged her knees to her chest. "So...about what I said. About it all being a ploy? That...was probably not true?"

"No, but it was extremely entertaining to hear you over-think everything."

"Like I always do," she muttered. "Hey…I'm sorry."

He didn't ask for clarification, just gently tugged at her shoulder until she settled back down on the mattress beside him. "It doesn't matter now."

"Yes it does. We could have had five years that we _didn't_ have because I was stupid—"

"You weren't stupid. You were young. You needed space. You needed time to yourself. I understand."

"Then why didn't you _say_ that? Why'd we have to fight?"

He shrugged. "I wanted you to come to the conclusion yourself."

"It shouldn't have taken me this long to figure out what I was missing," she muttered.

He leaned in to kiss her neck. "I was patient."

"Do you think we can make this work?"

"Why not?"

"I…" she licked her lips and rolled onto her back. "I have a life here. I have friends. And a cat. And I'm about to get a new job—"

"You don't have to travel with me if you don't want to."

"I do, but…" she sighed and picked up one of his hands, playing with his fingers. "What if...what if I stayed here and this was your...home base? You know, a place for you to crash between contracts?"

He pushed closer to her, kissing her shoulder. "I think that would work. Rather well."

"I just assumed you get tired jumping around to different galaxies."

He agreed with a small nod.

"So you could rest up for a few days between trips. Catch up on sleep, eat some real food."

"Get laid," he added, tucking his face into her neck.

She blushed. "Yeah, that too." She savored the feeling of his lips against her skin. Why had she ever thought giving this up was a good idea? "So then...it's safe to say we're dating again?"

"Let's just call it...together."

"Together," she repeated, nodding. "Yeah, that...sounds really good." She smiled. "Sounds like Pandora."

"Sounds like we were never apart," he added.

"Let's just pretend we weren't, okay? And…how about we try to forget that whole fake assassination thing that happened yesterday?"

A gentle kiss on her jaw was the only answer. Yeah, he liked that idea, too.


End file.
